Method of making labeled package



11966 H. L. FARMER liwfi flfi METHOD OF MAKING LABELED PACKAGE OriginalFiled March 1, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HAR OLD L.FARMER' BYGAMPJMM ATTORNEYS W% H. L. FARMER 3,2$,36

METHOD OF MAKING LABELED PACKAGE Original Filed March 1, 1963 2Sheets-$heet 2 INVENTOR H A R OL D L..FARMER ATTORNEY5 United StatesPatent 3,289,386 METHOD OF MAKING LABELED PACKAGE Harold L. Farmer,Henrico County, Va., assignor to Reynolds Metal Company, Richmond, Va.,a corporation of Delaware Original application Mar. 1, 1963, Ser. No.262,045. Divided and this application Sept. 23, 1964, Ser. No.

2 Claims. (CI. 53-28) This is a division of application Serial No.262,045, filed March 1, 1963, now Patent No. 3,207,300.

This invention relates to a method of labeling and packaging articlessuch as bulk produce and the novel package resulting therefrom. Moreparticularly, the invention comprises a heat-sealed shrink-wrappedpackage and method of making the same, whereinlabeling of the'contentsis efiiciently performed and provided at the lowest possible cost.

In known methods of packaging bulky articles such as bananas or carrots,the articles or produce are enclosed in either a single thermoplasticweb which is wrapped about the produce and thereafter longitudinallyseamed to form a tube and thence transversely sealed at opposite ends toform the completed package, or two webs of packaging material are placedabout the articles and peripherally sealed together to form asubstantially rectangular bag containing the articles or produce.Similarly, in the packaging of a multiplicity of smaller products orgranular materials, such as radishes or rice, a single web ofthermoplastic material is formed into a vertical tube, longitudinallyseamed, and provided with a lower transverse seal. The articles are thenplaced within the tube and a top transverse seal is formed, thecompleted package then being severed from the subsequently formed tubethereabove.

In any of these widely used packaging techniques, it is conventionalpractice to preprint a full packaging width of thermoplastic Web withsuitable advertising indicia to indicate trademark, manufacturer,contents, and to otherwise present an attractive merchantable package,nonprinted areas of the packaging film being substantially transparentto permit viewing of the package contents. Transparent thermoplasticpackaging material of sufficient width for packaging elongated articlessuch as bananas is readily available and at relatively low cost.However, the imprinting of such wide webs with trademark indicia orother ornamentation significantly increases the cost thereof as comparedwith an unprinted web, thereby effectively precluding many processorsand packagers for economic reasons from using thermoplastic films whichotherwise have many desirable packaging properties.

Efiorts have been made to avoid the very high expense of full-widthprinted packaging film, which however have proven unsatisfactory. Forexample, suitably printed paper or similar labels have been adhesivelysecured to the outside of thermoplastic bags or packages. But suchlabels do not always adhere well to packaging materials of polyethylene,polyvinyl chloride, etc. Further, such labels become detached, defacedor damaged in the handling of the articles between packager andconsumer. As an alternative, small labels have been inserted inside thewrapping along with the articles or produce. Labels provided in thismanner, however, become intermingled with the products and becomeobscured. Further when such labels are used with heat-shrinkableoverwraps, the shrinking process tends to wrinkle and distort theinserted] label. Additionally, the insertion of such labels along withthe products requires additional manufacturing or handling steps,thereby nulli'fying-a portion of the cost saving from not using printedwebs.

It is therefore a principal object of this invention to provide a methodof packaging and labeling which effectively overcomes the deficienciesof present methods as above set forth.

A further object is to employ highly desirable printed thermoplasticfilm, but in the form of a label strip which is separate from andappreciably narrower than the fullwidth unprinted packaging film,thereby avoiding the considerable expense of full-width printedpackaging film.

It is a further object to provide a package wherein the label strip isdisposed within the package with the articles, thereby protecting thelabel from marring or damage, but wherein the label strip cannot becomemingled with or obscured by the packaged articles.

It is a further object to provide a label strip which is compatible withand not affected adversely by the use of heatashrinkable packagingmaterial.

A further object is to provide a label strip which may be of thinnergauge than is the case when the full-width film is printed for use as alabel.

Other objects and advantages of my improved method of packaging andpackage resulting therefrom will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating apparatus bywhich the subject method may be performed in producing the package;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation in schematic form illustrating one step inthe method;

FIG. 3 is a partial side schematic elevation corresponding to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial side schematic elevation illustrating another stepin the method;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the partially completed package;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the completely sealed package;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the completed package after heatshrinkage thereof;

FIG. 8 is a top schematic plan view illustrating a modified method;

FIG. 9 is a partial schematic side view in a second modified method ofmaking the package;

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the modified method of FIG.9;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the resultant package produced from the methodof FIGS. 9 and 10; and,

FIG. 12 is a partial sectional view along the lines 12 12 of FIG. 11. r

In more detail, and referring to the drawings, a pair of supply rolls10, 12 of full-width transparent thermoplastic packaging film areprovided from which web lengths 14, 1'6, respectively, are trained overconventional guiding, support, and tensioning rollers toward thepackaging station P. Any of a number of suitable transparentthermoplastic packaging materials may be readily employed, although apreferred film material for this purpose is heat-shrinkable, orientedpolyvinyl chloride.

The web material is of conventional thickness for packaging purposes, onthe order of three-quarters or one mil. As indicated, the termoplasticfilm is heat-shrinkable, and is preferably of the MD (machine direction)type, i.e. the packaging material when subjected to appropriate heattreatment will shrink longitudinally or in a direction corresponding toits direction of feed from the supply rolls. The expressionthermoplastic is used herein in a very general sense and it is notintended thereby to exclude thermosetting materials which are otherwisesuitable.

A supply roll 18 of similar, but relatively narrow, thermoplastic filmis provided adjacent roll 10, this film being pre-printed withappropriate indicia and/or ornamentation, as represented by the legendA/ B thereon. A length 20 of the label film is drawn from the supplyroll 18 thereof and is trained around the supply roll of widetransparent film so that the label film underlies the wide packagingfilm substantially centrally thereof as seen in FIG. 1, with the indiciathereof being readily visible through the transparent upper web length14. The label film is preferably also polyvinyl chloride, but inasmuchas the same does not constitute the primary package-forming film, thesame may be of appreciably less thickness, on the order of one-half mil.As the cost of pre-printed thermoplastic film varies directly withthickness as well as width, it will be seen that my invention furtherreduces the cost of the printed labeling film as compared to priorpackaging methods above discussed. The regularity and spacing of theprinted indicia on the label film 20 will of course vary depending uponthe desired length of the package ultimately formed, or the indicia maybe in repetitive short lengths, whereby the resultant package willinclude a plurality of repetitive labels, of which at least one will befully visible and not severed or included in the end seams of thepackages. It will be noted that the narrow label film 20 is guided overa major circumferential portion of the full-width supply roll 10, whichcoupled with the several guiding and tensioning rollers between thesupply roll and the packaging station, cause the label film length 20 tobe firmly pressed into intimate and smooth contact with the superposedfull-width packaging film 14. This technique maximizes the naturaltendency of thermoplastic films to adhere to each other, and establishesa substantially molecular contact t-herebetween along the full lengthsof the packaging and label films 14, 20. This constitutes a significantfeature of my packaging method, as a result of which the label film willremain in snug, effectively bonded contact with the wide packaging filmthroughout further packaging steps and subsequent handling of thecompleted package. In this manner, conventional means such as adhesiveapplicators, heat sealing bars or the like for securing the label filmto the package web which are necessary in present packaging proceduresare entirely eliminated.

The lower web 16 of wide packaging material is trained under an articlesupport table 22 and thence upwardly over the front lip of the table andover a lower heat sealing anvil 24 of conventional form. An uppertransverse sealing bar and severing knife assembly 26 is provided, theassemblies 24 and 26 being relatively movable in usual fashion by a footpedal or the like so as to form a trailing transverse seal 32 of apartially completed package, a lea-ding transverse seal 30 of asubsequent package to be formed, and also sever the partially completedtubular package as at A from the advanced web lengths 14, 16, 20.

Thus, as seen in FIG. 2, a tubular package A has been formed and isresting upon package table 28, such partially completed tubular packagebeing shown in FIG. 5. As the sealing and severing bar 26 has beenelevated in FIG. 2, the terminal edges of the web lengths 16, 14 andlabel length 20 are transversely sealed at 30 to form the leading edgeof a package to be subsequently formed,

with the label strip 20 adhering tightly to the undersurface of the topWeb 14 rearwardly from the sealed edge 30, as above explained.

With this arrangement, and following completion of a preceding tubularpackage A, a charge of articles, such as bananas B, is laterallyinserted fully between and within the superposed full-width webs 14, 16by an attendant standing in front of table 28, and placed upon the table22. Thereafter, the attendant manually grasps the ends of the bananasfrom either or both sides of the apparatus and draws the banana chargetoward him as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3, the banana chargethereby bearing against the leading transverse seal 30 of the weblengths 14, 16, 20. The packaging film thus tends to substantiallyconform to the leading portion of the banana charge.

While this transverse seal has been exaggerated in the drawings for thepurpose of clarity, in practice the transverse seal is on the order ofone-thirty-second of an inch in width or less, depending upon theparticular construction of the heat sealing bar and anvil 26, 24.

As the operator continues to draw 'the bananas toward him against thefused edge 30 of the packaging and label webs, the bananas advance fromthe table 22 to the packaging table 28, thereby drawing off additionallengths of packaging and label film from the supply rolls thereof. Asfurther lengths of the upper packaging web 14 and label strip 20 arethus drawn, the same are ironed in close intimate contact to insurecontinued firm adherence of the label strip to the underside of thepackaging web.

After the package charge B has been advanced over table 28 to theposition of FIG. 3, upper sealing and severing bar 26 is actuated todescend against anvil 24, thereby forming the trailing transverse seal32 on the tubular package A thus formed, severing the package from theadvancing web lengths, and forming the leading transverse seal 30 of asucceeding package.

Thus, as seen in FIG. 5, the label strip 20 is disposed within thetubular package A in intimate contact with and beneath the uppertransparent sheet 14 thereof, the terminal ends of the label strip beingsecured in the transverse seals 30, 32.

The open ends of the package A are then sealed as at 34, FIG. 6, byconventional heat sealing means, forming a completely sealed bag orpouch enclosing the contents.

While the package at this state is fully sealed and may be handled andshipped in this manner, it is preferable to heat shrink the packagewhereby thermoplastic material will conform snugly to the contentstherewithin to facilitate packing and handling of the same by theprocesser and ultimate consumer. Such heat shrinking is accomplished byconventional means to result in the completed heat-shrunk packageillustrated in FIG. 7.

One or both transparent webs 14, 16 are preferably provided with aseries of minute pin holes 36 (FIG. 1) to permit escape of entrapped airfrom the package interior during shrinking and reduction of the internalvolume thereof.

As above stated, a preferable packaging and label material is orientedpolyvinyl chloride which is shrinkable in the direction of machine feed,i.e. lengthwise of the label strip 20 in FIG. 5. Since the label strip20 shrinks uniformly with the transparent wrapping, no distortion orcurling thereof results during the shrinking process. Although not apreferred material, biaxially-oriented packaging film may be employedwhich shrinks both longitudinally and transversely of the package. Filmmaterials which shrink transversely or in the cross direction only havebeen found to be less desirable in the instant packaging method asadversely affecting the legibility of the enclosed label and/or thetight bonding thereof to the underside of the top web 14. Further, withsemi-rigid, relatively tapered products as bananas or carrots,crossdirection shrinkage without equivalent lengthwise shrinkage tendsto exert stresses in the packaging material which may weaken theheat-sealed seams.

It will be noted in the package produced by the above method that theupper web length 14 and label strip associated therewith account for atleast one-half and preferably about sixty percent of the total length ofmaterial surrounding the contents. This provides a further significanteconomy in the effective labeling of the package as compared withpackaging methods which completely encircle the contents wtih aband-type label. As above noted, it is the cost of printed thermoplasticfilm which is a chief factor in packaging economics, and by associatingthe label material with only the upper transparent web, the cost ofprinted material is materially reduced from that necessary to surroundor band the entire package. Further, when such packages are set out fordisplay in a grocery or other retail outlet, a labeled portion presenton the underside of the package is not visible and the value thereof iswasted, all of which is avoided in the present packaging technique.

Modification of the method for multiplied output by dual-line packageformation is shown in FIG. 8. In a manner similar to FIG. 1, lengths 14,16 of transparent packaging material of full double-width are fed towarda packaging station P, the lower web 16 passing beneath the table 22 asbefore. A pair of label strip lengths 20 are intimately associated withthe underside of the upper web 14 in spaced parallel relation. The uppersealing and severing bar 26a is of T-shape, including a transverseportion 36 comparable to the element 26 of FIG. 1, and further includinga forwardly extending leg 38 provided with a similar central knife andparallel heat sealing surfaces on either side thereof. The lower anvil24a is of corresponding T-configuration. In this embodiment, followingthe formation of a leading transverse seal 30 of the web materials, theattendant laterally inserts two transversely aligned, spaced charges ofarticles from both sides. Then, holding the ends of the respectivearticle groups in each hand, the operator draws the same forwardly asbefore, to advance the articles over the table 28, thereby drawing offequivalent lengths of packaging material from the supplies thereof.Thereupon, the sealing and severing T-bar 26a is actuated to form atrailing transverse seal 32 of each of two partially completed packagesand sever the same from the web materal rearwardly thereof, while theadditional forwardly extending leg 38 of the T-bar similarlylongitudinally seals the adjacent ends of the tubu lar packages C, C,and severs the same, the resultant pouch or cup-like packages beingillustrated after having been laterally separated from the sealing barin FIG. 8. With his arrangement, it is only necessary for an attendantto close the single remaining open end of each pouch to fully enclosethe articles. In this form of the invention package output can bevirtually doubled, and further, there remains only the single unsealedopen end of each package to be thereafter closed after removal of thepartially completed packages from the table 28.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the present labeling techniqueof the instant invention may be applied to packages formed in othermanners. Application thereof to a different packaging technique isillustrated in FIGS. 9-12. As shown, there is provided a single roll oftransparent thermoplastic film 40, which may be perforated for heatshrinking if desired, and a narrow web supply 42 of similar labelmaterial. The label material lies in intimate contcat in overlyingrelation to the transparent web 40, becoming adhered snugly thereto inpassing beneath guide and tensioning roller 41 and upwardly into aconventional former 46. The former shapes the web material into a tubelapping the side marginal edges thereof, and conventional means areprovided for longitudinally seaming the overlapped marginal edges of thewide web 40. Thus the label strip 42 will be enclosed within thelongitudinally sealed tube 48 depending from the former 46. Conventionalsealing and severing means 50 are provided for transversely sealing thetube to effect a top final closure on a completed package and alowermost transverse seal on a package about to be formed. Followingformation of a bottom transverse seal on the tubing 48, the articlecharge is deposited into the tube through the former 46, and the tube 48is lowered relative to the sealing bars 50 by conventional means. Thetop seal is then formed to complete the package and fully enclose thecontents. This method of packaging is especially desirable for articlesof smaller size or granular materials such as rice or the like, whereinthe method of packaging illustrated in FIG. 1 would be unsuitable. Asbefore, the label strip 42 adheres firmly to the transparent web 40during running thereof and folding of the transparent web into a tube,requiring no further bonding as by adhesive or other means, and whereinthe ends of the label strip in each package will be bonded into thetransverse end seams thereof as illustrated in FIG. 11. It is apparentthat the labeling and packaging technique of my invention may beemployed with any product, whether in bulk form as bananas orfrankfurters, partially prepackaged as fruit trays, or in overwrappingcartoned products. Similarly, the method thereof may be readily adaptedto other packaging techniques within the scope thereof.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that my novel labeling andpackaging method materially reduces packaging costs by effectivelyminimizing the expense of printed thermoplastic film material ascompared with known packaging methods using such films. Further, byemploying the inherent bonding tendency of thermoplastic films, thelabel is tightly secured to the packaging material from which the samewill not be dislodged during packaging operations or other handling,remaining in view for the benefit of the ultimate consumer to identifythe source of the products and the character thereof, yet is protectedfrom damage or removal.

What I claim is:

1. In a method of packaging, the steps of advancing spaced superposedwebs of transparent thermoplastic packaging material,

simultaneously advancing a spaced parallel pair of narrow webs ofprinted thermoplastic packaging material between said superposed websand in intimate contact with one of said superposed webs to cause snugadherence therebetween,

placing two charges of contents in spaced transverse relation betweensaid superposed webs, longitudinally severing said superposed websbetween said article charges and between said printed films,transversely severing said superposed webs forwardly and rearwardly ofsaid charges, and heat sealing said webs along the longitudinal andtransverse lines of severence to form two cup-like labeled packageshaving one open end.

2. A method of packaging articles from supplies of transparentthermoplastic film and relatively narrow printed thermoplastic film,comprising the steps of advancing superposed lengths of a firsttransparent film and laterally spaced parallel lengths of said printedfilm,

pressing said film lengths into intimate contact to cause said printedfilms to snugly adhere to said transparent film,

advancing a length of a second transparent film in spaced superposedrelation to said first transparent film to dispose said pair of printedfilms therebetween, transversely heat sealing the leading ends of saidfilms, inserting two article charges in spaced transverse relationbetween said superposed transparent films, uniformly advancing saidcharges against said sealed film ends to draw additional lengths of saidfilms from the supplies thereof, longitudinally severing said superposedwebs between said article charges and between said printed films,transversely severing said films rearwardly of said article charges,

7 8 and heat sealing said films along the longitudinal and 2,815,62012/1957 Prodigo 5314 transverse lines of severance to form two cup-l2,878,628 3/1959 Curry 5330 labeled packages- 3,172,246 3/1965 Ruff53182 X References Cited by the Examiner 5 GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, 111.,Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,082,114 6/1937 Littlefield. TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE,FRANK E. BAILEY,

2,260,064 10/1941 Stokes 93 35 X Examiners- 2 9 ,04 12 1954 Finke 53 23X 3- ABEND, Assistant Emmlller-

1. IN A METHOD OF PACKAGING, THE STEPS OF ADVANCING SPACED SUPERPOSEDWEBS OF TRANSPARENT THERMOPLASTIC PACKAGING MATERIAL, SIMULTANEOUSLYADVANCING A SPACED PARALLEL PAIR OF NARROW WEBS OF PRINTED THERMOPLASTICPACKAGING MATERIAL BETWEEN SAID SUPERPOSED WEBS AND IN INTIMATE CONTACTWITH ONE OF SAID SUPERPOSED WEBS TO CAUSE SNUG ADHERENCE THEREBETWEEN,PLACING TWO CHARGES TO CONTENTS IN SPACED TRANSVERSE RELATION BETWEENSAID SUPERPOSED WEBS, LONGITUDIANLLY SEVERING SAID SUPERPOSED WEBSBETWEEN SAID ARTICLE CHARGES AND BETWEEN SAID PRINTED FILMS,TRANSVERSELY SEVERING SAID SUPERPOSED WEBS FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY OFSAID CHARGES, AND HEAT SEALING SAID WEBS ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL ANDTRANSVERSE LINES OF SEVERENCE TO FORM TWO CUP-LIKE LABELED PACKAGESHAVING ONE OPEN END.